Recruiting Report: Theo John (2017)
Theo John is entering the part of his recruitment where it's going to get the most exciting, but also potentially tiresome, the junior year. When you are a nationally ranked prospect like Theo is listed in the several different national…
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Continue ReadingTheo John is entering the part of his recruitment where it's going to get the most exciting, but also potentially tiresome, the junior year.
When you are a nationally ranked prospect like Theo is listed in the several different national rankings you start to hear from college coaches at a constant rate. From media at a constant rate.
If you have offers from Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas State, and Texas Tech you hear from the recruiting writers from all those areas and likely the papers from all those areas. Theo John is going through that.
It will climax the most this spring and summer at the 17U level of play when everybody will be watching every game watching close. For now Theo is enjoying the journey that he is blessed to be on.
“The recruiting process is really exciting for me right now,” John said. “All these coaches and programs that are interested in me, it's also nice because some of them tell me what I need work on, like my shooting and polishing my skill work.”
Theo likes the idea of playing in a fast paced system. He's an athletic big so that is something that will work for him. “I just want to play, get up and down the court. I love high tempo offenses.”
Who is the most interested? Illinois has been on Theo and teammate McKinley Wright hard.
“I don't have anything specific lined up (for visits), but I do know Illinois is really pursuing me pretty hard right now,” Theo said. “I'm going to keep all my options open, but I have to say I really do like their program.”
Minnesota has made John a top, or maybe the top 2017 priority. He was recently on campus at Minnesota and he was at their game last Friday night.
“I think the up-tempo style of play would be a good fit, that's what I'm looking for in a team,” John explained. “The coaches are really chill and straight up with you. But they are all business when it comes to game time.”
Oct 19th Update
The Minnesota Gopher coaching staff has designated Champlin Park junior center Theo John as a main frontcourt target in the 2017 class. The Rivals150 talent stands 6-foot-9, 225 pounds and currently holds seven high major offers.
Earlier in the fall Theo toured the Minnesota campus for a weekend afternoon seeing the team workout, seeing the facilities at the University of Minnesota, and taking in a home football game from the front row of TCF Bank Stadium.
The Saturday visit went well and continues to leave John with a good impression of the hometown team.
“The visit was good,” Theo said. “We went to the football game and it was nice to see the atmosphere on campus. We had a good time.”
Theo thinks the Minnesota style of play would fit him well and he likes the temperament of the young Gopher coaching staff.
“I think the up-tempo style of play would be a good fit, that's what I'm looking for in a team,” John explained. The coaches are really chill and straight up with you. But they are all business when it comes to game time.”
John has been on campus as a guest of the Gopher several times including practices, fall workouts, games during the winter, and likely another visit or two. Theo has also been to visits at Creighton and Wisconsin.
“They talk to me like once or twice a week,” John recently said of Minnesota. “They just talk basketball. Talk life. We talk about how we are doing. But they are a great school.”
His current offer list includes Minnesota, Iowa, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Marquette, and Illinois. Theo is listed as the 113th ranked recruit in the recent Rivals 150 for 2017 talents.
John is coming off a sophomore season where he started in the post for a 31-1 team that included four division one offered or signed guards/wings around him in the starting line-up.
John averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game as a sophomore. Theo shot 51.4 percent from the floor and 56 percent from the foul line.
June 30, 2015 by ryanjames
The University of Illinois had 14 players on their roster last year. Only four of them were from outside of the state, and over half were from Chicago.
To receive an offer from the Illini considering the talent base that they have just to their north, it’s a big thing. Champlin Park has had two players from their crop of 2017 talent receive Illini offers in the past week.
“My good friend McKinley Wright got an offer from there, and I was congratulating him on that and thinking that's a great school,” Theo John said. “The next thing you know, the assistant from Illinois contacted me and told me the head coach John Groce wanted to talk to me. I talked to him and that's when I got the offer. “
John and Wright are playing on different Grassroots squads (Howard Pulley and Net Gain respectively) but both are playing up at the 17U level and both are having success. They were also both starters on a 31-1 team last winter that played in the state final.
After the Illinois offer Theo had six high major offers including Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas Tech. There are also dozens of high majors that are also involved. For now Theo is just happy to have the six after talking to Coach Groce.
“He said they see a lot of potential in me,” Theo said. “I got to know a little bit more about their program, the people who are part of it, and the style they play.”
There is a lot of time left for Theo to make his college choice. He has 17 months until his national signing day.
“I'm keeping my options open,” John said. “I have two more years of high school. I want to make my decision sometime down the road.”
Theo is a versatile player and while he’s been a five for both Pulley and Champlin Park, he is expected to play both frontcourt spots in college.
“I will attack the defense's weakness. If it's a bigger guy on me, then I'm going to face him up. If it's a guard on me, I'll back them down. Defensively I'm locking everybody up to the best of my ability. I take it personally if the man I'm guarding scores.”
What does Theo want to improve this summer?
“I want to make my jump shot more productive and tighten up my ball handling. Obviously, I want to get bigger, stronger, and faster.”
March 16th update by RJ
Theo John and the Minnesota Gophers didn’t even give NHR a chance to finish the “biggest state tournament stock risers” article before offering the Champlin Park big, his stock raised that fast (look for that article tomorrow now).
Tonight John received the call from Richard Pitino that he wanted John in his program as a Gopher.
“It’s a blessing and it means so much for offer number one to come from my hometown,” said John to NHR just after Pitino called to extend the scholarship offer.
“When I found out about the offer I went into shock, I mean, it’s such a blessing. It’s such a great feeling to know that your hard work has been paid off. And all the hard work I’ve put in, more can come from it so this is also motivation.”
Pitino and assistant coach Ben Johnson watched John and the Rebels Saturday night in the state final and also heard about everything John had done this season as well as his previous state tournament performances. It was enough to extend the tender.
“The Gophers are a great program, they are obviously the home school for me, and they are doing good things there. To have a first offer from them, from the hometown team, it’s a real honor.”
Minnesota will have competition. Wisconsin has been hot after Theo and others just south of here are looking at the 6-foot-9, 225 pound big as well. Theo was just at Creighton a month ago.
“I have a few others schools talking to me and I’m getting some letters from others,” Theo said. “Wisconsin has been recruiting me a little bit, Northwestern, Creighton, and there are a few more here and there.”
Today John’s teammate JT Gibson won the Mr. Basketball award in Minnesota putting a nice stamp on a 31-1 season. It was a great year for the Rebels regardless of the final game.
“Looking back at it now, we did great things,” said John. “We did great things for our city, our school, and for each other. We are truly a family and there is more hard to be done.
“The hard work so far wasn’t quite enough as we didn’t get to our ultimate goal so that is motivation to push us every time we get in the gym.”
Next up for Theo is Howard Pulley Panther basketball and the EYBL.
Feb 5th, 2015 Update by ryanjames
The Theo John debates have already begun.
Who does he remind you of? John Thomas? Kyle Washington? Bryce Webster? Who?
And where will he rank in this 2017 class of talent in the end? Two? Three? Four?
Yes there are a lot of questions to still be answered but that is usually the case with big men that have high potential like the 6-foot-8 and growing Theo John.
Theo is already getting strong college interest from the high major level as Creighton, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have all had him on campus.
The offers aren’t there yet but Theo is a big, schools want to see him continue the development before they extend (we expect the offers to start coming later this spring or sometime this summer).
This past weekend Theo was at Creighton where he saw the Bluejays take on Georgetown along with high school teammate McKinley Wright.
“Yeah, it was pretty good,” Theo said about the visit. “It seems like a nice place although we didn't have to time to walk around the campus and stuff but it’s a good basketball program with a good fan base.
John will be on the road this weekend to see a school as well.
“I’m hearing from Wisconsin mostly, I'm going there this weekend again (he was also in Badger country for a game the second weekend of November),” Theo said. “I've gone to two Minnesota games now as well, the main ones recruiting me are the U and Wisconsin.”
Theo previously told me he’s also heard from Bucknell, Drake, Iowa, North Dakota State, Northwestern, and South Dakota.
John is scoring 8.3 points per game as a sophomore for the number one team in state right now, the undefeated Champlin Park Rebels.
Update from 9/29/14 by Alex Conover
As class of 2017 forward/center Theo John (#4 in NHR’s class of 2017 rankings) attends open gyms, so do Division I programs. There’s a pattern there.
Earlier in the month, Northern Iowa and University of Ill.–Chicago came to visit the Champlin Park gym. Then, last week, a Wisconsin assistant coach visited to watch the 6-7 youngster. The Badgers followed up with a phone call.
“Coach Greg Gard told me on the phone that they were interested,” John told NHR. “He asked me about taking an unofficial, which I will schedule around November 14. I’ve also heard from Drake, Nebraska and Northwestern.”
To prep for the season, John is eating a new high-protein diet consisting of six small, separate meals throughout the day along with training at Velocity. He will join McKinley Wright, J.T. Gibson, Marty Hill and Jeremy Johnson in a stacked Champlin Park hoops lineup this winter.
As John watches the Rebel football team this fall, he can’t help but imagine himself out there with them. He tells NHR that—as of right now—he’s planning on playing next fall.
“The football coach says something to me every day (about joining the team),” John said. “I’m going to try tight end along with defensive end or middle linebacker. This spring I will also try track, and I’m doing high jump, long jump and a running event.”
Imagine John coming across the middle at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds. With absolutely ideal tight end size, this experiment will be very interesting to watch a year from now.